Child vehicle seat

ABSTRACT

A child car seat includes: a seat base having top and bottom surfaces and a peripheral surface interconnecting the top and bottom surfaces and having a rear surface portion; a backrest extending uprightly from the seat base; and an abutting member having first and second ends. The second end of the abutting member is pivoted to the peripheral surface of the seat base so as to allow the abutting member to rotate relative to the seat base about a horizontal axis between a first position, in which the first and second ends of the abutting member are disposed in front of the rear surface portion of the peripheral surface of the seat base, and a second position, in which the first end of the abutting member is disposed behind the rear surface portion of the peripheral surface of the seat base.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/021727, filed on Jan. 17, 2008.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to a child car seat, more particularly to a child car seat having an abutting member that is rotatable to a position to abut against a backrest of a vehicle seat.

2. Description of the Related Art

A child car seat is placed in a vehicle for securing a child in the vehicle and for protecting the child when the vehicle is moving. The child car seat normally includes a seat base and a backrest extending uprightly from the sea base. In order to secure the child car seat on a vehicle seat, a complicated backrest inclination angle adjusting mechanism is required for the child car seat so as to allow the backrest of the child car seat to have an appropriate inclination angle to fit into the vehicle seat, thereby achieving the securing purpose.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a child car seat that can overcome the aforesaid drawback associated with the prior art.

According to this invention, there is provided a child car seat that comprises: a seat base having top and bottom surfaces and a peripheral surface interconnecting the top and bottom surfaces and having a rear surface portion; a backrest extending uprightly from the seat base; and an abutting member having first and second ends. The second end of the abutting member is pivoted to the peripheral surface of the seat base so as to allow the abutting member to rotate relative to the seat base about a horizontal axis between a first position, in which the first and second ends of the abutting member are disposed in front of the rear surface portion of the peripheral surface of the seat base, and a second position, in which the first end of the abutting member is disposed behind the rear surface portion of the peripheral surface of the seat base and the second end of the abutting member is disposed in front of the rear surface portion of the peripheral surface of the seat base.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent in the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment of this invention, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic side view of the preferred embodiment of a child car seat according to this invention, illustrating a state where an abutting member is disposed at a first position;

FIG. 2 is a schematic side view of the preferred embodiment, illustrating another state where the abutting member is disposed at a second position;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the abutting member of the preferred embodiment;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary schematic bottom view of the preferred embodiment illustrating how the abutting member is retained at the first position; and

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary schematic rear view of the preferred embodiment illustrating how the abutting member is retained at the first position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

FIGS. 1 to 5 illustrate the preferred embodiment of a child car seat according to this invention.

The child car seat includes: a seat base 3 having top and bottom surfaces 35, 36 and a peripheral surface 37 interconnecting the top and bottom surfaces 35, 36 and having a rear surface portion 371; a backrest 2 extending uprightly from the seat base 3; and an abutting member 5 having first and second ends 51, 52. The second end 52 of the abutting member 5 is pivoted to the peripheral surface 37 of the seat base 3 so as to allow the abutting member 5 to rotate relative to the seat base 3 about a horizontal axis between a first position (see FIG. 1), in which the first and second ends 51, 52 of the abutting member 5 are disposed in front of the rear surface portion 371 of the peripheral surface 37 of the seat base 3, and a second position (see FIG. 2), in which the first end 51 of the abutting member 5 is disposed behind the rear surface portion 371 of the peripheral surface 37 of the seat base 3 and the second end 52 of the abutting member 5 is disposed in front of the rear surface portion 371 of the peripheral surface 37 of the seat base 3.

In this embodiment, the abutting member 5 is a generally U-shaped rod having two parallel arm portions 53 and a shoulder portion 54 interconnecting and transverse to the arm portions 53. The arm portions 53 have pivot ends 531 that are pivoted to the peripheral surface 37 of the seat base 3 and that cooperatively define the second end 52 of the abutting member 5. The shoulder portion 54 defines the first end 51 of the abutting member 5.

In this embodiment, the bottom surface 36 of the seat base 3 is formed with a generally U-shaped retaining groove 361. The generally U-shaped rod (i.e., the abutting member 5) is received fittingly into the generally U-shaped retaining groove 361 when at the first position, and is disposed outwardly of the generally U-shaped retaining groove 361 when at the second position.

Each of the arm portions 53 of the generally U-shaped rod further has a connecting end segment 532 and a straight segment 533 extending from the pivot end 531 to the connecting end segment 532. The connecting end segment 532 is bent from the straight segment 533.

The generally U-shaped retaining groove 361 is defined by a groove-defining surface 362 that is formed with two pairs of retaining protrusions 363. Each pair of the retaining protrusions 363 protrude from groove-defining surface 362 toward each other to clamp a respective one of the arm portions 53 of the generally U-shaped rod when the abutting member 5 is disposed at the first position (see FIGS. 4 and 5).

In use, the child car seat is placed on a seat body 61 of a vehicle seat 6 (see FIG. 2), and the abutting member 5 is pulled out from the U-shaped retaining groove 361 to be disposed at the second position to thereby press against a backrest 62 of the vehicle seat 6 so as to prevent undesired movement of the child car seat on the vehicle seat 6 during movement of the vehicle.

With the inclusion of the abutting member 5 in the child car seat of this invention, the aforesaid drawback associated with the prior art can be eliminated.

While the present invention has been described in connection with what is considered the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is understood that this invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiment but is intended to cover various arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the broadest interpretation and equivalent arrangements. 

1. A child car seat comprising: a seat base having top and bottom surfaces and a peripheral surface interconnecting said top and bottom surfaces and having a rear surface portion; a backrest extending uprightly from said seat base; and an abutting member having first and second ends, said second end of said abutting member being pivoted to said peripheral surface of said seat base so as to allow said abutting member to rotate relative to said seat base about a horizontal axis between a first position, in which said first and second ends of said abutting member are disposed in front of said rear surface portion of said peripheral surface of said seat base, and a second position, in which said first end of said abutting member is disposed behind said rear surface portion of said peripheral surface of said seat base and said second end of said abutting member is disposed in front of said rear surface portion of said peripheral surface of said seat base.
 2. The child car seat of claim 1, wherein said abutting member is a generally U-shaped rod having two parallel arm portions and a shoulder portion interconnecting and transverse to said arm portions, said arm portions having pivot ends that are pivoted to said peripheral surface of said seat base and that cooperatively define said second end of said abutting member, said shoulder portion defining said first end of said abutting member,
 3. The child car seat of claim 2, wherein said bottom surface of said seat base is formed with a generally U-shaped retaining groove, said abutting member being received fittingly into said generally U-shaped retaining groove when at the first position, and being disposed outwardly of said generally U-shaped retaining groove when at the second position.
 4. The child car seat of claim 3, wherein each of said arm portions of said generally U-shaped rod further has a connecting end segment and a straight segment extending from said pivot end to said connecting end segment, said connecting end segment being bent from said straight segment.
 5. The child car seat of claim 3, wherein said generally U-shaped retaining groove is defined by a groove-defining surface that is formed with a pair of retaining protrusions protruding toward each other to clamp said generally U-shaped rod when said abutting member is disposed at the first position. 